Argentina national under-20 football team facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Argentina U-20

Nickname(s)	Albiceleste (The White and Sky Blue) Los Cebollitas (Little Onions) Los Pibes (The Kids)
Association	Asociación del Fútbol Argentino (Argentine Football Association)
Confederation	CONMEBOL (South American Football Confederation)
Head coach	Diego Placente
Captain	Claudio Echeverri
FIFA code	ARG
First colours Second colours
First international
Argentina 5–0 Venezuela  (Buenos Aires, Argentina; 27 February 1951)
Biggest win
Argentina 8–1 United States  (São Paulo, Brazil; 4 May 1963)
Biggest defeat
Uruguay 5–1 Argentina  (Quito, Ecuador; March 8, 1981)  Brazil 4–0 Argentina  (Quito, Ecuador; March 5, 1981)
FIFA U-20 World Cup
Appearances	18 (first in 1979)
Best result	Champions (1979, 1995, 1997, 2001, 2005, 2007)
CONMEBOL Sub 20
Appearances	29 (first in 1958)
Best result	Champions (1967, 1997, 1999, 2003, 2015)
Medal record FIFA U-20 World Cup Gold 1979 Japan Team Gold 1995 Qatar Team Gold 1997 Malaysia Team Gold 2001 Argentina Team Gold 2005 Netherlands Team Gold 2007 Canada Team Silver 1983 Mexico Team Silver 2025 Chile Team

The Argentina national under-20 football team is a special team that represents Argentina in big football tournaments for players under 20 years old. These tournaments are organized by FIFA, the world's football governing body.

Argentina is super successful in the FIFA U-20 World Cup, having won the championship a record six times! The team has played in 18 of the 25 World Cup events. They even won their very first one in 1979. Argentina also won five South American Youth Championships.

Many famous Argentine football stars started their careers in this youth team. Some of these amazing players include Sergio Agüero, Pablo Aimar, Ángel Di María, Diego Maradona, Javier Mascherano, and Lionel Messi. Other great players like Juan Román Riquelme, Carlos Tevez, and Sergio Romero also played for the U-20 team.

History of Argentina's U-20 Football Team

Winning the First World Title in 1979

The Argentine team that won the 1979 World Youth Championship

Argentina did not play in the first FIFA World Youth Championship in 1977. However, they joined the next tournament in Japan and won it! The team, coached by César Luis Menotti, played with a fantastic style. They kept the ball a lot, passed well, and scored 20 goals in total.

Diego Maradona and Ramón Díaz were the team's biggest stars. This was Maradona's first official tournament with a national team. He played incredibly well, showing off his amazing dribbling and scoring six goals. Ramón Díaz was the top scorer with eight goals. Maradona was named the best player of the tournament.

Argentina started strong, beating Indonesia 5–0. They also defeated Yugoslavia 1–0 and Poland 4–1. They won their group easily. In the knockout rounds, they beat Algeria 5–0 and their rival Uruguay 2–0. In the final on September 7, they beat the Soviet Union 3–1 to become world champions!

Challenges and a Strong Comeback in the 1980s

Argentina playing against Brazil in the 1983 World Cup final

Argentina played in the 1981 tournament in Australia. They had a tough time, losing to Australia and drawing with England. They did not move past the first stage.

In the 1983 championship in Mexico, Argentina played much better. They reached the final against Brazil. They won all their group games without letting in any goals. They beat Netherlands and Poland in the knockout stages. In the final, Brazil won 1–0.

Argentina did not qualify for the 1985 and 1987 tournaments. They returned in Saudi Arabia, reaching the quarter-finals before losing to Brazil. The 1991 tournament in Portugal was difficult. Argentina finished last in their group. Some players were sent off for rough play, and FIFA gave the Argentine Football Association a two-year ban from the tournament.

The Golden Years with Coach José Pékerman

Because of the ban, Argentina missed the 1993 World Cup. The Argentine Football Association (AFA) hired José Pékerman as the new coach. He brought amazing success to the team.

Argentina won their second World Cup title in Qatar. They beat the Netherlands and Honduras in the group stage. In the knockout rounds, they defeated Cameroon, Spain, and then Brazil 2–0 in the final. This win was sweet revenge for their 1983 loss.

They won their third title in Malaysia. They beat Hungary and Canada. In the knockout stages, they defeated England, Brazil, and the Republic of Ireland. In the final, they beat Uruguay 2–1. The team also received the FIFA Fair Play Award for their good sportsmanship. Many talented players like Walter Samuel, Pablo Aimar, and Juan Román Riquelme were part of this team.

The 1999 World Championship in Nigeria was not as successful. Argentina was eliminated in the round of 16 by Mexico.

In 2001, Argentina hosted the Youth Championship and won their fourth title! They won all their games, including a huge 7–1 victory over Egypt. In the final, they beat Ghana 3–0. Javier Saviola was the top scorer with 11 goals and was named the best player. Argentina also received the FIFA Fair Play Award again. This was the last title won with José Pékerman as coach, marking the end of a brilliant era.

Continued Success from 2003 to 2007

After Pékerman, Hugo Tocalli became the coach. In the 2003 championship, Argentina reached the semi-finals. They finished in fourth place, with Fernando Cavenaghi as the top scorer.

In 2005, Francisco Ferraro became coach. Argentina won its fifth title at the World Championship in the Netherlands. They beat Colombia, Spain, and Brazil in tough knockout matches. In the final, they defeated Nigeria 2–1, with both goals scored by Lionel Messi. Messi was the team's star, winning both the top scorer and best player awards. Other notable players included Sergio Agüero and Fernando Gago.

Two years later, Argentina won their sixth title in a row at the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Canada. They had a strong run, beating Poland, Mexico, and Chile. In the final, they defeated the Czech Republic 3–1. Sergio Agüero was the top scorer with six goals and also won the Golden Ball as the best player. This team also featured future stars like Ángel Di María and Sergio Romero.

Recent Challenges Since 2009

After their amazing run, Argentina's U-20 team faced some challenges. They did not qualify for the World Cup in 2009 and 2013. They were also eliminated in the group stage in 2015 and 2017. In the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile, Argentina reached the final, finishing as runners-up.

Competitive Record in Major Tournaments

FIFA U-20 World Cup Performances

Year	Round	Position	GP	W	D*	L	GS	GA
1977	Did not qualify
1979	Champions	1st	6	6	0	0	20	2
1981	First round	9th	3	1	1	1	3	3
1983	Runners-up	2nd	6	5	0	1	13	2
1985	Did not qualify
1987
1989	Quarter-Finals	7th	4	1	0	3	3	4
1991	First round	14th	3	0	1	2	2	6
1993	Disqualified
1995	Champions	1st	6	5	0	1	12	3
1997		1st	7	6	0	1	15	7
1999	Second round	16th	4	1	1	2	2	5
2001	Champions	1st	7	7	0	0	27	4
2003	Fourth Place	4th	7	5	0	2	12	8
2005	Champions	1st	7	6	0	1	12	5
2007		1st	7	6	1	0	16	2
2009	Did not qualify
2011	Quarter-Finals	8th	5	3	2	0	6	1
2013	Did not qualify
2015	First round	20th	3	0	2	1	4	5
2017		17th	3	1	0	2	6	5
2019	Round of 16	12th	4	2	1	1	10	6
2023		9th	4	3	0	1	10	3
2025	Runners-up	2nd	7	6	0	1	15	4
2027	To be determined
Total	18/25	6 titles	93	64	9	20	188	75

South American Championship U-20 Record

Year	Round	GP	W	D1	L	GS	GA
1954	Did not participate
1958	Runners-up	5	2	2	1	16	10
1964	Sixth Place	6	1	2	3	4	5
1967	Champions	6	2	3	1	9	7
1971	Third Place	5	3	0	2	7	3
1974	Fourth Place	5	1	2	2	3	5
1975	Third Place	5	2	2	1	7	6
1977	Sixth Place	4	0	2	2	3	5
1979	Runners-up	6	3	2	1	10	1
1981	Third Place	6	3	1	2	11	12
1983		7	5	1	1	17	10
1985	Fifth Place	4	1	2	1	5	3
1987	Third Place	6	3	1	2	9	9
1988		8	6	0	2	13	5
1991	Runners-up	7	3	3	1	12	10
1992	Disqualified
1995	Runners-up	7	5	1	1	10	3
1997	Champions	9	5	3	1	18	7
1999		9	8	0	1	21	3
2001	Runners-up	9	5	3	1	13	6
2003	Champions	9	6	2	1	15	5
2005	Third Place	9	5	4	0	19	4
2007	Runners-up	9	3	5	1	15	8
2009	Sixth Place	9	1	5	3	10	13
2011	Third Place	9	6	1	2	15	9
2013	Seventh Place	4	1	1	2	6	7
2015	Champions	9	7	1	1	24	7
2017	Fourth Place	9	3	4	2	15	14
2019	Runners-up	9	5	1	3	10	6
2023	Eighth place	4	1	0	3	3	6
2025	Runners-up	9	5	3	1	18	9
Total	29/31	206	101	57	46	338	198

¹Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.

Individual Awards for Argentine Players

Argentine players have won many special awards at the FIFA World Youth Cups.

Current Squad for the U-20 Team

The players listed below were part of the team for the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup, which took place between September 27 and October 19, 2025.

Caps (games played) and goals are correct as of October 1, 2025, after the match against Australia.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Santino Barbi	(2005-06-14) 14 June 2005 (age 20)	10	0	Talleres
12	1GK	Álvaro Busso	(2006-10-11) 11 October 2006 (age 19)	0	0	Vélez Sarsfield
21	1GK	Alain Gómez	(2007-03-03) 3 March 2007 (age 18)	0	0	Valencia
2	2DF	Tobías Ramírez	(2006-11-11) 11 November 2006 (age 18)	15	0	Argentinos Juniors
3	2DF	Julio Soler	(2005-02-16) 16 February 2005 (age 20)	13	0	Bournemouth
4	2DF	Dylan Gorosito	(2005-02-03) 3 February 2005 (age 20)	10	0	Boca Juniors
6	2DF	Juan Villalba	(2006-03-15) 15 March 2006 (age 19)	9	0	Gimnasia y Esgrima
13	2DF	Valente Pierani	(2006-02-22) 22 February 2006 (age 19)	5	0	Estudiantes de La Plata
14	2DF	Santiago Fernández	(2005-03-30) 30 March 2005 (age 20)	1	0	Talleres
16	2DF	Teo Rodríguez Pagano	(2005-10-12) 12 October 2005 (age 20)	9	1	San Lorenzo
5	3MF	Milton Delgado	(2005-06-16) 16 June 2005 (age 20)	15	1	Boca Juniors
8	3MF	Valentino Acuña	(2006-01-27) 27 January 2006 (age 19)	12	0	Newell's Old Boys
10	3MF	Álvaro Montoro	(2007-04-17) 17 April 2007 (age 18)	3	0	Botafogo
15	3MF	Tomás Pérez	(2005-08-26) 26 August 2005 (age 20)	4	1	Porto
18	3MF	Tobías Andrada	(2007-02-02) 2 February 2007 (age 18)	2	0	Vélez Sarsfield
7	4FW	Maher Carrizo	(2006-02-19) 19 February 2006 (age 19)	14	6	Vélez Sarsfield
9	4FW	Alejo Sarco	(2006-01-06) 6 January 2006 (age 19)	2	3	Bayer Leverkusen
11	4FW	Ian Subiabre	(2007-01-01) 1 January 2007 (age 18)	10	5	River Plate
17	4FW	Mateo Silvetti	(2006-01-14) 14 January 2006 (age 19)	4	1	Inter Miami
19	4FW	Santino Andino	(2005-10-25) 25 October 2005 (age 20)	11	2	Godoy Cruz
20	4FW	Gianluca Prestianni	(2006-01-31) 31 January 2006 (age 19)	1	0	Benfica

Top Goalscorers for Argentina U-20

Lionel Messi is the all-time top goalscorer of Argentina U-20 national team with 14 goals

Team Honours and Achievements

• FIFA U-20 World Cup
  • Champions (6): 1979, 1995, 1997, 2001, 2005, 2007
  • Runners-up (2): 1983, 2025
• CONMEBOL Sub 20
  • Champions (5): 1967, 1997, 1999, 2003, 2015
  • Runners-up (8): 1958, 1979, 1991, 1995, 2001, 2007, 2019, 2025
  • Third Place (8): 1971, 1975, 1981, 1983, 1987, 1988, 2005, 2011
• Pan American Games
  • Gold Medal (1): 2003
• Toulon Tournament
  • Champions (2): 1975, 1998
  • Runners-up (2): 1983, 1999
  • Third Place (2): 2003, 2009
• Granatkin Memorial
  • Champions (1): 2019

Former Squads

FIFA World Cup Squads

Images for kids

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  Argentina playing against Brazil in the 1983 World Cup final

See also

In Spanish: Selección de fútbol sub-20 de Argentina para niños

• Argentina national football team
• Argentina national futsal team
• Argentina Olympic football team
• Argentina national under-17 football team
• Argentina national under-15 football team